Knitting



S. C. MACK May 16, 1950 KNITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 12, 1946KEY TO PEG. (9,

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Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PTNT OFFICE KNITTING ration of NewYork Application September 12, 1946, Serial No. 696,446

10 Claims. 1

My invention is an improved method of narrowing and fashioning knitfabrics and the product thereof, which are particularly suitable for useas blanks for hosiery and leading objects of my invention are to effecta desired degree of narrowing with a minimum number of operations,minimum strain on the yarns, and only a slight visual pucker of thefabric in the narrowed zone.

In practicing my invention, a web composed of loops arranged in regulawales and courses may be knit in any usual manner, and in accordancewith my invention is narrowed coursewise by overlapping loops to formtriple groups from loops of consecutive trios of wales so as to form acoursewise row of adjoining marks each C0111- posed of three overlappedloops of adjoining courses: the loop of an intermediate Wale beingbetween the loops of wales on either side thereof. Preferably, marksformed of pairs of loops are formed at the ends of the row of marksformed of trios of loops so as to merge the grouped loops gradually intothe ungathered loops, The centers of the trios of loops or marks arespaced coursewise from one another substantially the same distance thatthe centers of individual loops were originally spaced from one anotherand the loops of each trio are held overlapped and the trios arepositioned in proximate, juxtaposed relation to one another by drawing arow of holding loops simultaneously through the trios of gathered loops,thereby reducing the length of the course to approximately a third ofits original length with very little puckering of the fabric and themarks forming a line curved slightly forward in the direction ofknitting as it progresses inward from the selvage. Knitting may bethereafter continued in any usual manner to form a further web section,such as a foot section, or to provide raveling courses or seamingselvages if the narrowing is required at a terminal of the web, as, forinstance, at the terminals of heel tabs or at the point of the toe of astock! ing blank.

My invention may be conveniently practiced on a conventionalfull-fashioned knitting machine having a row or bank of en masse movableknit.- ting needles and narrowing combs comprising groups of pointsmovable coursewise into align-- ment with needles and lengthwise of theneedles to lift loops therefrom or deposit loops thereon.

In practicing my invention on such a machine, a comb containing a groupof narrowing points is shifted coursewise step by step along the bank ofknitting needles and in the same direction into alignment with loopedknitting needles. As it is preferable to initially form one or moremarks each composed of a pair of loops, rather than a trio of loops, theinitial coursewise movements of the comb each brings its leading pointinto alignment with a different looped needle and between eachooursewise movement, the points are dipped and elevated to reciprocatethem along the lengths of the needles and lift loops from the needles byone reciprocation and deposit loops on the needles by next reciprocationof the points; the lifting of the loop from each new needle isaccompanied :by the simultaneous lifting of the marks formed by theprevious overlapping oi loops and all of the lifted loops aresimultaneously shifted coursewise one needle and redeposited, so thatthe single loop on the end point is deposited on a needle alreadycontaining a loop and the overlapped loops of the remainin points aredeposited on needles which were emptied in the previous loop liftingoperation, and the operation is repeated until the desired number ofpairs of loops have been assembled.

But a special feature of the present invention resides in forming aseries of marks in a course- Wise row and each comprising a trio ofloops from adjoining wales and to do this, the steps requisite to thegathering together of pairs of loops are spaced or interrupted bypicking up all the loops which have just been deposited by the points,together with an original loop on the needle on which a shiited loop hasjust been deposited by the leading point, and shifting such originalloop and the loop deposited thereon simultaneously over an original loopon the next needle, thereby accumulating a trio of loops thereon. Thecomb is then operated to gather another pair of loops on a needle, andsuch pair (together with pres viously formed trios and pairs of loops)is then shifted to a looped needle to form a further trio thereon.

The principles and characteristic features of my invention, and themanner of practicing my improved method, and of making, constructing andusing my improved fabric will further appear from the accompanyingdrawings and the follow? ing description explaining the best mode inwhich I have contemplated applying such principles.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a singleunit stocking embodying my invention; Fig. 2 illustratesdiagrammatically -the shaping of the heel portion of a single unithosiery blank by the coursewise narrowing of such blank in accordancewith my invention; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view of afoot section of a single unit hosiery blank from which the stocking ofFig. l was made; Fig.

4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the heel tabs and adjacent portion of aleg blank for making a twounit stocking; Fig. 5 is a key to the symbolsused in Fig. 6 to indicate the numbers of loops on the respectiveneedles; Fig. 6 illustrates diagrammatically part of a row of knittingneedles arranged in a conventionally operable bar and agroup ofnarrowing points and indicate the lifting, course- Wise shifting, anddeposit of yarn loops on such needles in the practice of my invention;Figs. '7 to 13 illustrate diagrammatically the approximate positions theloops of the narrowed course would occupy if the needles were withdrawnfrom the loops after the various narrowing steps indicated in Fig. 6;and Fig. 14 illustrates diagrammatically the narrowed courses andadjacent courses of the blanks of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Since my invention is of primary utility in the knitting of hosieryblanks and in connection with the fashioning of heel and toe sections ofsuch blanks, I have illustrated my invention in connection with themaking of, and as embodied in, full-fashioned hosiery, which may be knitby the single carrier system or three carrier system and generally inany of the well-known ways for manufacturing hosiery of the single unittype or of the multiple unit type, as modified by the narrowings of myinvention.

In Figs. 1-3 of the drawing I have illustrated the embodiment of myinvention in a single unit stockin having a fashioned leg section l, areenforced heel section 2, a reenforced sole section 3, and a reenforcedtoe section 5, and in F13. 4 I have illustrated the embodiment of myinvention in the terminal portions of the heel tabs of a leg blank whichis to be topped onto a. footer a machine for making a foot section of atwo unit stocking.

The blanks for single unit stockings may be conveniently knitted onconventional full-fashioned knitting machines having attachments forwidening out and reenforcing portions 5 of the blank to form a heelpocket, as described, for example, in Letters Patent of the UnitedStates Nos. 2,298,302 or 2,402,200. Any other suitable method ofwidening out the blank to form a heel portion may be employed. When asingle unit blank has been widened out to the maximum width desired, at,say, the point 6, Fig. 2, a number of courses of such width are knittedsufiicient to provide the requisite fabric for a heel pocket. Suchnumber of courses required will, of course, Vary widely with the sizeand type of the stocking.

It has been usual practice to gradually taper inward the widened outheel sections by narrowings forming rows of marks extending walewise ofthe fabric and parallel with the selvage edges thereof, therebyincorporating in the instep section a series of courses greatly ineXcess of those required by the contour of the human foot and tending tocause wrinkling at the instep when the stocking is worn.

In accordance with my invention, the widened out heel portion is knitits maximum width for a suitable length and is then abruptly narrowedalong a somewhat loose terminal course by narrowings forming rows ofmarks extending coursewise, and along lines extending from the selvageedges on the oppostie sides of the blank inward toward the inner edgesof the reenforccd heel area, the lines curving slightly toward the toeas they progress inward and usually imparting sufficient narrowing tothe blank without extending all the way across the reenforced positionsof the blank.

This abrupt narrowing of the terminal course 25 curves the widened outheel portion from the shape indicated approximately by the full sideline of Fig. 2 to the shape indicated approximately by the curved dashline of Fig. 2 and curves the selvage wales sharpl inward and curves theinner wales to a progressively diminishing degree.

When the loose terminal course 25 is sufficient- 1y narrowed, a newcourse or holding course is interknit therewith and the knitting of thefoot continued in th usual manner until the loose terminal course 250.of the toe is reached. This is narrowed in the same manner as the course25 and finished off by a finishing course or courses 25a and any desiredraveling courses or seaming courses.

Two unit stocking knit in any usual manner may have my inventionembodied in the toes thereof in the same manner as in single unitstockings and in the terminal courses of the heel tabs as indicated inFig. 4, wherein 25b indicates narrowed loose courses at the ends of theheel tabs and 28?) indicates holding courses, the courses 25b and 26bbeing similar to the courses 25 and 26 and effecting a fashioning andcurving of the selvages and wales similar to that in the reenforcedwidened heel section of Fig. 2.

The fashioning of knit fabric in accordance with my invention bynarrowing a course, such as 25, 25a or 251), is diagrammaticallyillustrated in Figs. 5 to 14, inclusive.

Asindicated diagrammatically in these figures of the drawings, after aweb has been knit by means of an en masse movable bank of needles M, ll,:2, l3, l4, l5, l3, l7, l8, l9, of a full-fashioned knitting machine toa point where narrowing is desired or required, and the loops a, b, c,d, e, f, g, h, 2', 7', forming part of the fell row of loops of thefabric, are on the respective needles !0 to It inclusive, as shown inrow A of Fig. 6, and the loops are disposed as in Fig. '7, the course isnarrowed by means of a series of narrowing points 20, 2|, 22, 23, suchas the ordinary narrowing comb of a full-fashioned knitting machine. Thecomb may be operated manually but is preferably operated by a suitablytimed mechanism for imparting to the narrowing points a sequence ofmovements in a coursewise direction along the needles H) to [9 and asequence of movements transverse thereto and rectilineally of the lengthof the needles.

As illustrated in the line A of Fig. 6, the narrowing point 20 has beenshifted leftward from beyond the active bank of needles 10 to l9 intoalignment with a looped needle H) at or adjacent to a selvage of thefabric being knit. Upon alignment of the point 20 with the needle H) asa result of this coursewise shift, the point 20 is dipped along theneedle if! within the fell loop a, and is then raised to lift the loop aclear of the needle in. The comb on which the points are mounted is thenshifted leftward coursewise a distance of one needle to bring the point20, with the loop a thereon, into registration with the needle I! andthe point 20 is then dipped to deposit the loop a on the needle I i overthe loop b thereon, as indicated in row B of Fig. 8, so that if theneedle H were removed, the loops a and I) would be overlapped, asindicated in Fig. 8.

The comb is raised until the point 20 clears the loops b, a of theneedle H, and the comb is again shifted coursewise leftward a distanceof one needle to bring the point 20 into alignment with the loopedneedle l2 and to bring an additional point 2| into alignment with thedouble looped needle H, as shownin line C of Fig. 6; The comb is thendipped to move the point 28 along the length of the needle i2 within theloop and to move the point 2| along the length of the needle within theloops at and b. The comb is then raised to cause the points 28 and 2| topick up and lift the loops 0, b, a, engaged thereby and clear theneedles II and i2. The comb is then again shifted coursewise leftward adistance of one needle to bring points 2t and 2| into alignment with therespective needles i3 and I2, and the comb is dipped to deposit the loop0 over the loop 03 on the needle l3 and to deposit the loops at and b onthe vacant needle It, as shown on line D of Fig. 6, so that if theneedles [3' and iii were removed, the overlapped loops 0 and d wouldform a gathered group in juxtaposition to the previously gathered groupformed by the loops a and b, as indicated in Fig. 9.

The comb is again raised but so that the point 20 lifts the loops d, cfrom the needle l3 and the point 2; lifts the loops b, a from the needlel2. Thus the deposited loops and an additional loop are lifted withoutany intervening coursewise shift of the comb between the deposit andlifting of the loops. Of course, if desired, the comb could bereciprocated through a complete dip and raise in depositing the loopsand then reciprocated through a complete dip and raise in lifting theloops prior to a coursewise shift of the comb. In either event, afterthe points 2i! and 2| have lifted the loops d, c, and b, a from theneedles i3 and E2, the comb is shifted coursewise leftward a distance ofone needle to bring the point 25 into alignment with the looped needleIt, and to bring the point 2| into alignment with the emptied needle 53.The comb is then dipped to move the points 20 and 2| along therespective needles I l and I3, respectively. The loops (1, c are therebydeposited over the loop 6 on the needle l4 and the loops 1), a aredeposited on the needle 13, as indicated in line E of Fig. 6. If theneedles l4 and [3 were removed, the overlapped loops e, d, 0 would forma trio of loops and the overlapped loops 1), a, would form a pair ofloops, as indicated in Fig. 10.

The comb is then raised to cause the points it and 2| to clear therespective loops on the needles [4 and I3 and is again shiftedcoursewise leftward without any loops thereon a distance of one weneedle to bring the point 29 into alignment with the needle l5, to bringthe point 2| into alignment with the needle Id, and to bring a point 22into action in alignment with the double looped needle it. The comb isthen dipped to move the points 2!], 2i and 22 along the needles I4, l5and i3 within the loops thereon and is then raised to lift the loop 1''from the needle I5, to lift the trio of loops 9, d and c from the needleM, and to lift the pair of loops b, a from the needle |3, as indicatedin line F of Fig. 6.

The comb is again shifted coursewise leftward one needle to bring thepoint 26 into alignment with the looped needle iii, to bring the point2| into alignment with the emptied needle i5, and to bring the point 22into alignment with the emptied needle Hi. The comb is then dipped tomove the points 211-22 lengthwise along the lengths of the respectiveneedles 16-14 and deposit the loop i ever the loop 9 on the needle it,todeposit the trio of loops e, d, c on the needle I5 and to deposit thepair of loops b, a on the needle l4, so that if the needles were removedthe loops 9, 1 would be gathered as a pair, the loops e, d, 0, would begathered as a trio, and the loops b, a would be gathered as a pair, asindicated in Fig. 11. Each of the several gatherings is formed of loopsof consecutive wales and no loop is stretched further than from one Waleto th next, hence very little strain is imparted to the yarn. The combis then raised, without coursewise shifting, to cause the points to pickup the respective loops on the needles |6-|4 and lift them clear ofthese needles. The comb is then again shifted coursewise leftward adistance of one needle to align the points 20*22 with the respectiveneedles l|--I5. The comb is then dipped to move the points 20--'22 alongthe needles ll-it and deposit the pair of loops g, I from the point 29over the loop h. on the needle if, to deposit the trio of loops e, d, cfrom the point it on the vacant needle l6, and to deposit the loops 2),a from the point 22 on the vacant needle is, as indicated in line H ofFig. 6, so that if the needles were removed the fell course wouldcontain consecutive groups of gathered loops no ads and ba, as indicatedin Fig. 12.

The comb is then again raised to cause the points IL-22 to clear theloop h and the deposited loops ga and is shifted coursewise leftwardfree of loops a distance of one needle so as to bring the point 26 intoalignment with the looped needle 58, to bring the points 2|-22 intoalignment with the triple looped needles I! and it and to bring anadditional point 23 into action and into alignment with the doublelooped needle #5. The comb is dipped to move the needles 26-423 downwardalong the needles l3--i inclusive within the loops thereon. The comb isthen raised to pick up the loop 2' from the needle !8, the loops h, g,from the needle H, the loops e, d, c from the needle i6, and the loopsb, a from the needle i5, and lift these loops above the needles. Thecomb is again shifted coursewise leftward a distance of one needle tobring the points 2li23 into alignment with the respective needles|-l-|6. The comb is dipped to move the points 20-23 downward along theneedles is to it and deposit the loop i over the loop 7' on the needleill, to deposit the loops h, on the needle Hi, to deposit the loops e,d, c on the needle I1, and to deposit the loops b, a. on the needle it,as indicated in line J of Fig. 6, so that if the needles were removedthe fell course would contain juxtaposed groups of loops composedrespectively of gathered loops ii, hgf, edc and Ba.

Narrowing is continued in the same manner until the course has beensufficiently narrowed to produce a row of narrowing marks extendingconrsewise across the wales on a line normal to the wales and curvingslightly toward the toe from the selvage of the fabric, therebyfashioning the fabric in a manner resulting in a sharp bend or curvaturein the wales adjacent to the selvage and a diminishing degree ofcurvature the wales progressively remote from the selvage.

Preferably the last narrowing operation is one that leaves a pair ofloops at the inner end of the narrowed section of the course so as toprovide a gradual transition from the triple gatherings to theungathered loops along the inner portion of the course.

When the desired narrowing of the fell course has been effected by thecoursewise shifting of the loops into a desired number of consecutivetrios and pairs, knitting is resumed by laying a yarn along the loopedneedles and moving the needles en masse to draw the new yarn through theloops and group of loopsonthe needles so as 7 to form a new and narrowedcourse 26 which holds the gathered loops together and the pairs andtrios in juxtaposition to one another with their centers spaced adistance equal to the center-tocenter spacing of the needles.

While I have described in detail the narrowing of the fabric inward fromone selvage only, it will be understood that the fabric will usually benarrowed inward in the same manner from both selvages simultaneously.The lines of marks thus formed simulate the topping on lines of two unitstockings but at a somewhat different angle.

Knitting may b continued in any usual manner to any desired extent and asubsequent course, close to or remote from the course 25, may benarrowed in the same manner when additional narrowing and fashioning isdesired or required. While I have described the full narrowing as takingplace in a single course, and I find this ver desirable, occasions mayarise where a repeated series, and at least several, narrowings areformed in one course and a further series, and at least several,narrowin s are formed in a subsequent course parallel to or offset fromthe first row.

Courses 25 at the end of the heel widening may be narrowed across themajor portions of the heel reenforced sections of the blank, and theknitting of the foot continued in the usual manner after the course 26has been knit until the extremity of the toe is reached. The fell courseof loops forming a terminus of the toe section may be then narrowedinward from each selvage in the manner illustrated in Figs. 6 to 13,inclusive, and the narrowed course held in narrowed condition by acourse 26 and one or more seaming courses or raveling courses.

In making two unit stockings, terminal courses 25b of heel tabs may benarrowed in the same manner to impart a curve to the bottom of the heel.I he heel tabs ar then topped on a footer and the foot section knit inthe usual manner until the extremity of the toe is reached, which mathen be narrowed in the manner described.

Either a single unit blank or a two unit blank :formed as described maybe seamed from toe to -welt without the need of looping.

It will, of course, be understood that each of the loops a-j, inclusive,will ordinarily include yarns laid by the main carrier and reenforcingcarrier, and that the term loop includes all the yarns laid by the maincarrier and reenforcing carrier and initially looped around a needle.

lhis application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.501,595, filed Septemher 9, 1943.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A knit fabric having loops forming wales and courses and including acourse containing a multiplicity (and at least several) adjacent groupsof overlapped loops, each group including loops of three adjacent wales,and a course interlooped with the last named course and comprising loopsholding together the loops of several groups so as to substantiallynarrow the fabric.

2. A knit fabric stocking blank having loops forming wales and coursesand having reenforced heel and sole sections divided from one another ba row of narrowing marks extending coursewise from substantially theselvages toward the inner edges of the reenforced areas, narrowing marksaforesaid each being composed of overlapped loops of three adjacentwales aforesaid.

3. A knit fabric stocking blank having loops forming wales and coursesand having heel and sole sections with reenforced areas divided from oneanother by rows of narrowing marks each composed of loop groups, each ofsaid rows in eluding marks composed of overlapped loops of a pair ofadjacent wales and marks composed of overlapped loops of a trio ofadjacent wales.

4. A knit fabric hosiery blank having loops forming wales and courses,the loops of certain pairs of adjacent wales being overlapped coursewiseon one another and the loops of certain trios of adjacent wales beingoverlapped coursewise on one another, all of said overlapped loops beingin the same course and forming a coursewise row of narrowing marksextending along a slightly curved line.

5. A method of narrowing a knit fabric having a course of loops onneedles of an en masse movable bank which comprises shifting a group ofloop-engaging points coursewise step by step a distance of one needlealong said bank of needles and aligning said points with needlesaforesaid, and alternately lifting and shifting coursewise one loop andthen two loops by the leading point of said group.

6. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises knitting a web havingloops forming wales and courses, gathering a narrowing mark by shiftinga loop coursewise over a loop of an adjoining wale to form a pair ofloops, shifting the pair of loops coursewise over a loop of an adjoiningwale to form a trio of loops. and continuing the gathering of narrowingmarks in a similar manner until a coursewise series and at least severalmarks are so formed, and then drawing a new course of loopssimultaneously through the trios of loops forming the narrowing marks toposition the same and substantially narrow the fabric.

'7. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises overlapping loops of apair of adjoining wales, then overlapping loops of a trio of adjoiningwales, repeating the overlapping of loops of further trios of adjoiningwales, and thereafter overlapping loops of a pair of adjoining wales.

8. A method of narrowing fabric which comprises knitting a web havingloops forming wales and courses, lifting a loop of one wale on acoursewise shiftable narrowing point and depositing it over a loop of anadjoining wale, lifting the overlapped loops on said point anddepositing it over a loop of a wale adjoining the last named wale,freeing said point of loops and moving it coursewise and into engagementwith another loop and simultaneously moving a second point intoengagement with the first three loops, shifting the points coursewiseand depositing the fourth named loop over a loop of an adjoining course,lifting the fourth and fifth named loops on said first named point anddepositing them on a loop of a wale adjoining the fifth named loop, andcontinuing the same shifting and grouping of loops in threes along thesame course until the course is substantially narrowed, and drawing theloops of a new course through the respective trios of loops.

9. A method of narrowing a knit fabric composed of yarn looped onequidistant needles of a row to form a course of loops, which comprisesshifting a group of loop-engaging points coursewise uniformly,step-by-step, along said row of needles and aligning said points withneedles aforesaid and alternately lifting and shifting coursewise by theleading point of said group the yarn originally looped on one needle andthen the yarn originally looped on two needles.

10. In a method of narrowing a knit fabric having a course of loops ona, row of equidistant needles, the steps which co'mprise'shiiting agroup of loop-engaging points edursewise in uniiqrm, successive stepsalong said row, each successive coursewise movement bringing pointsatore'said into alignment with needles of said row, dipping and raisingsaid points along needles aforesaid efter each coursewise shift, saidpoints being tree 10 of loops during certain steps of their cou rsewiseshifts and carrying loops coursewise (luring two successive steps oftheir coursewise shifts occurring between the loop-free coursewiseshifts of,

5 said points.

STERIJNG c. MACK.

No references cited.

